Various types of contact toasters are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,276 discloses a contact toaster having a housing with an inlet and an outlet in a toasting chamber defined therebetween. A platen capable of being heated is removably positioned within the toasting chamber in between a pair of conveyors intended to convey a product to be toasted along the heated platen. The platen is heated with cal rods or electrical resistance wires.
It is desirable to serve certain types of sandwiches, such as hamburger sandwiches, with toasted buns. Quick-service restaurants that serve such sandwiches often require a large number of toasted buns in a relatively short period of time in order to promptly satisfy customer demand. Consequently, rapid toasting of a large number of buns is desired for such restaurants. For example, a toast time of twenty seconds, fifteen seconds, eleven seconds, or even less, is desirable. To provide faster toasting, increased platen temperatures, for example, in excess of 500.degree. F., and faster conveyor speeds can be utilized. However, rapid toasting must result in uniform toasting of the food product, even when the toasting device is operated continuously or substantially continuously, such as to achieve a high throughput of toasted products, without the occurrence of overtoasting or burning of any portion of the food item.
Consequently, a need exists for a conveyor contact toaster that is capable of rapidly toasting food items, including items such as hamburger buns, when operated under severe service conditions, such as when continuously or substantially continuously toasting food products, without burning or overtoasting of the food items.